Paris Marathon

Paris Marathon, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Well I've been busy doing the tourist thing for the past couple of days. Yesterday was Paris Marathon Day and I just happened to be in the right place when the largest pack went past. I didn't wait around to see the finishe, don't like large crowds that much.

I have had exceptional weather ever since I arrived in Paris. When I was walking by the Seine yesterday the name on this boat caught my attention, New Brunswick, there was a young man washing his car next to it so I asked if the owners were from New Brunswick and he said they are friends of his and yes they are Canadians and from New Brunswick.



I think Segways are the neatest things and I would love to try it sometime but not on the streets of Paris, death by Segway doesn't interest me.



Today was my visit to the Louvre which I enjoyed but what a mob of people, it really makes it hard to enjoy the things that you want to see with so many people talking and trying to get in to see the things that interest them. I stayed about four hours and that was all I could take for one day.









Lots more photos in my Flickr account click on any photo to go there.

Tomorrow I hope to have a nice relaxing day shopping.

Hotel de l'Europe Paris

Hotel de l'Europe Paris, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

I've been staying at this little hotel for several years now I can't decide if this is my fourth or fifth visit. It is just a little family run two star hotel nothing fancy very small rooms but comfortable and very reasonably priced 64 euros per night and for Paris that is very good. Second time I stayed there the owner saved my life, so that helps to keep me coming back. I suffered a pulmonary embolism in the middle of the night and he got an ambulance for me, but that is a whole other very long story. Because of that incident I'm recognized at the hotel the owner and his sons all welcome me and I think hope they won't need to call an ambulance. I like the hotel because of the price and it's location. It is less than a five minute walk to two of the large train stations the Gare de l'Est and the Gare du Nord both of which have excellent metro connections to the rest of the city. It is on Blvd de Magenta, this is the street:



Marche St. Quentin is just across the street:







When I was out for a walk in the street this morning I found this small patch of grass that has been turned into allotment gardens about a meter by a meter and half each. Too early to have much in them yet but I saw a few herbs and some one had planted spring bulbs.




I had plans of taking the Batobus today to get some video from the river and it would have been a good day for it except that area of Paris is covered with people today a combination of weekend, good weather and the Paris Marathon is going to be run tomorrow. Took this photo at one of the Batobus stops next to Notre Dame there were more than a hundred people waiting in line to get on the boat and there is one about every 15 minutes the problem being they can only allow as many on as get off at each stop because the boats are full to capacity, didn't look like fun to me. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday early in the morning.



Thanks everyone for all of the nice birthday wishes, I sure can't say it hasn't been a special one.

I don't know weather to call these guys buskers or not but they are amazing, I've seen them do their tricks here before but I'd never seen this one before, there were more than 100 pylons and they never touched one of them. I think maybe they just do it for the fun of it, I tried to find some way to give a tip couldn't find a container and no one was passing the hat.

Paris Montmartre Sacre Coeur

Paris Montmartre Sacre Coeur, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Arrived in Paris late morning and this afternoon walked up to Montmartre which is only about 15 minutes from the little hotel where I stay.

Today is the last day that I can say that I'm in my fifties I hit the big six oh tomorrow and of course I came to Europe so that would happen five hours earlier. LOL Today is also the birthday of two of my great neices Abby and Nevaeh have a great day girls.

Today is beautiful sunny and warm in Paris wish I had short pants and I will be very glad to get the packages that I sent on to Ivan's and Pru's so I can get my sneakers on and get out of these hot hiking boots.

I really enjoyed Calais and took a few more photos yesterday especially around the beautiful old City Hall and all of the lovely gardens in that area.





If you ever have the desire to try horse meat Calais is the right place to go I saw several shops that specialize in it . If Roy Rogers had only known he wouldn't have had Trigger stuffed and mounted.



If it is a good day tomorrow I want to buy a Bateaubus ticket it is the cheapest way to get on the river and I want to take the last of my videos from the river. My flip camcorder will hold one hour of video and I have about five minutes of space left. Stay tuned for the feature length movie when I get back to my own computer so I can edit it. Just jokeing I do plan to make an hour long DVD but I won't be able to post it YouTube won't take longer then ten minute videos. Copies will be available to anyone who wants one though.

Afghan refugees at the Port of Calais

Afghan refugees at the Port of Calais, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

One of my reasons for coming to Calais was wanting to see the condition of the Afghan refugees for myself. I have seen several news items about them before I left Canada. They are mostly educated young men trying to escape the horror that the west has turned their country into. Their plight is being ignored by the U.S. and the other countries that followed George Bush and destroyed there homeland and murdered millions of innocent people. They are at the Port of Calais trying to get into England to claim refugee status and of course England and France are doing everything possible to stop this. I went over and talked with a small group of four or five young men in their 20's. They spoke English as well as I do and said they were living on this little bit of grass. I could see where the city of Calais had put three portable toilets on the sidewalk for them but that was all they had for accomodations. I explained that I didn't want to insult or offend them but if they would accept it I would like to give them a small gift to help with food or their other needs, they accepted graciuosly and thanked me.



I'll get off my soap box now.

I forgot to tell you a little story of something that I saw in Brussells. It was early afternoon and I was walking past a nice restaurant when a long black limo pulled up to the curb and out jumped two guys dressed in suits talking to their wrists. They did a quick inspection of the area and opened the back doors of the car. Out came a middle ages couple and a teenage boy. They went in the restaurant and the guys talking to their wrists whent in with them. I have no idea who I saw but the Royal Family lives in Brussels so it might have been some of them.

It's a beautiful day here in Calais today and I'm just back from a walk along the beach looking oput at La Manche - English Chanel which was very busy today with ferry traffic.The ferries had been on strike since before the Easter long holiday weekend and just returned to work yesterday afternoon.

I took this lighthouse photo yesterday when it was cloudy.











I leave here early in the morning for Paris, I can hardly wait.

Canadian Memorial Vimy Ridge

Canadian Memorial Vimy Ridge, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

At last I think I beat Bill Gates at his stupid game. For some reason most computers using the Vista garbage can't find the small card from my camera even though it is inserted in the computer but my flip video camcorder uses a USB port and that always works so this morning I spent 25€ for a card reader that works in USB ports and was able to upload photos without a problem, don't any one tell Bill.

If you click on any of these photos it will take you to my flickr account where there are several more Vimy photos.

This one depicts Victory holding the tourch and a dieing soldier.



The most moving part of my Vimy visit was the time spent in the Canadian Cemetery.



As I was leaving I though I would check the register and sure enough there was one Calder grave, John D. Calder my great grand fathers name was John but this isn't him.



I took this photo of a fance pastry shop window in Brussels talk about special Easter Bunnies.



The next two photos are for Pru we have this ongoing joke about me seeing a big restaurant sign in Spain a couple of years ago when we were walking the Camino there. We were hungry and looking for a cafe and I told her that I thought I could see a large sign with a large Lobster on it at the end of this very long street. When Pru stopped laughing she said do you think you are back in Maine? Needless to say it wasn't a Lobster sign. So now when ever we look for a restaurant we joke about it. Well Pru look what I found in Arras and Brussels.





I just got off the phone with the little Hotel that I stay at in Paris and changed my reservation so I arrive on the 9th now instead of the 12th so now I will have five and a half days to explore Paris in the spring time, things could be much worse. I'M in Calais now for a couple of days.

Brussels

I'm still in Brussels leaving tomorrow morning for Calais for a couple of days before I go to Paris.

I haven't had any chocolates yet but I did have a good waffle yesterday with chocolate sauce.

Still can't find a computer that will let me upload photos so I thought I would take a few minutes to post a few video clips.

Brussels has a large square called Grand Place too and at least in my opinion it looks more at home here then in France.



I love street buskers and I took all of these clips while I was out for a walk yesterday.







Yesterday morning I went to see the Atomium which is a large model of an Iron Molecule which was the Belgium pavilion at the 1958 worlds fair. I noticed cables coming down from the top and thought it must be under repair, until I saw what these guys were doing. I don't suppose you don't need to be crazy to do this but it must be a big help.

Arras and Vimy and maybe Brussels

I'm in Arras only a 10 train ride to Vimy Ridge this morning, had to stay here because there isn't a hotel in Vimy. Arras is a very lovely little city but the building style really surprised me and I don't know the history behind it. If you had brought me here blindfolded I would hzve never thought I was still in France, Holland, Belguim maybe:



Took the early è AM train to Vimy this morning and was surprised to discover that I had an hour and a half walk in the rain to the monument, but it was well worth the effort, such a special place:



I have a lot of still photos but once again the computers won't let me upload them; I think the problem is Bill Gates and microsoft vista everytime in find a computer that uses it I have big problems.

Just down the road from the memorial is one of the 30 Canadian War Cemeteries in France:



I checked the register and there is one Calder burried here John D. Calder:



I'm not sure yet but I'm thinking I might go to Brussels tomorrow, I still have time to fill in before I go to Paris and I have never been there.

Happy Easter all.

Mémorial de Vimy

Mémorial de Vimy, originally uploaded by anthony_li.

I got my train ticket and I'm off to Vimy at 0618 in the morning to see the Canadian War Memorial their. I have wanted to see this for many years so it is really a dream come true. It is a long train trip with two train changes and I have to change train stations in Paris but that shouldn't be too bad with the Metro from one station to the other. I arrive in Vimy at 4:30 in the afternoon and then I will need to find a place to stay. I tried to do that on the internet but couldn't find anything in Vimy there are lots of places in Arras where I make my last train change and that is about 30 minutes away, there must be something in Vimy though it is a town of over 4000 people.

Snow in the pass toward Spain:



Trout anyone.

Thinking about Vimy

I have alwasy wanted to see the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy and today I'm thinking that might be where I go next. No luck online with train tickets so I will have to take a walk to the local station to see if it is possible to make connections on this Easter Holiday weekend.

I'm staying at a private home here in Saint Jean, run by another very nice older Basque couple I have a room on the third of four floors with a small balcony and view of the back gardens. I always wanted to be able to hang my laundry out on the balcony.



Yesterday afternoon I just happened to be in the right place at the right time for this little show.



I will try and add more about my travel plans later today.

Me at the Port de Saint Jacques

Me at the Port de Saint Jacques, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Not sure why I look short and square but this is me crossing the Port de Saint Jacque herer in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port earlier this afternoon. It looks like this is as far as I will be walking. I called Le Puy this morning and got the sad news that there is still too much snow in that area for the walking to be safe. The lady said that some young people are doing it but I don't think I fit in that catagory. Not sure what I will do with the next 11 days before I got to Paris, but stay tuned and I will let you know.

I stayed in a wonderful Gite in Ostabat last night it is run by a retired Basque couple and from the time I arrived I had the feeling that I knew the man. At one point during dinner he looked at me and said are you singing, I guess I must have been humming which I have a tendenancy to do. I said no anf believe me you don't want lme to sing. At that point the last piece of the puzzle fell into place; I said I don't sing but you do don't you and you are on youtube singing Ultreia, he smiled and said yest that is me. It is one of my favorite youtube videos; have a look



He agreed to sing for me so I ran to my room and got my flip camcorder:



Crossing the Port de Saint Jacques

Aroue March 29, 2010

I can't seem to find a computer that will let me upload photos but at least the one here at the Gite tonight will let me upload some videos.

This first one was taken over a week ago:



For the last few days I have been enjoying great views of the snow covered Pyrenees Mountains and I just can't stop taking pictures of them.



The countryside is so beautiful this time of year. I'm walking in the Basque country now which is Donkey country I love them and have been feeding them butter cookies with dark chocolate on top and they really seem to like them. I'm starting to see more sheep too I hope I'm able to find some of the Basque sheeps milk cheese soon.

Today's walk was very nice not too many hills to climb and most of the morning was in the forest which I really enjoyed, so many wild flowers and lots of birds an other animals. I see deer almost everyday at least one and a week or so ago on a foggy morning I saw a small herd of 10 to 12 running in a meadow. I have wanted to see wild Boar ever since I worked on a farm in Tuscany, there were lots of them there and I could hear them in the forest but I never did see one. Well my wish came true last week I didn't get a photo because it saw me first but I did get to see and hear it as it ran away down a row of vines in a vineyard.

I'm getting close to the end of this first part of my walk. As of today I have walked 489 KM since leaving Conques on February 27th and I have 44 KM more to go before I reach Saint-Jean-Pied-De-Port. Once there I will check the snow conditions back on the L'Aubrec and if the conditions are good I hope to take a train to Le Puy and walk the section from there to Conques which I couldn't do earlier due to the snow conditions.The weather is so nice and waqrm down here I sure hope they are getting this up in Le Puy too. Speaking of weather I get the forecast from back home emailed to me every morning and I can't beleave the winter that I've missed. I'm not sure that you have had any snow since I left but you sure havent had much, can't wait to get back and get in the garden before the black flies arrive.

This little clip was taken in the forest this morning:



This is where I stopped for my Picnic today. Very nice people even let me look inside the Pate factory and the lady gave me a can of Pate, I didn't have the heart to tell her I don't eat meat.



Hope you can see the last two videos this computer is slower then death and youtube hadn't finished playing with them when I posted them.

At last a goat

At last a goat, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

One thing I have wished that I would see more of is the goats but so far not too many and I will be in the Basque country soon where it is all dairy sheep. I will be glad to see that too because they make a sheeps milk cxheese there that I love.

I have had a problem finding a computer lately that will let me upload photos but where I'm staying tonight I'm using a little netbook like the one I have back home. So if you check the flickr account there are 40 new photos, lots of flowers because I'm finding more everyday. I'm also asking for the help of my European friends to identify some of them for me.







Today was a beautiful day after the rain of yesterday and this afternoon I was passed by this very nice mode of transportation, I think I need one.



and from behind



Tonight I'm on a small farm/gite with two pet goats who of course are eating all the wrong plants, like the prized new palm tree. The couple who run the giet are from Belgium and are very involved in water conservation so I have had my first expereince with a composting toilet and I must say I have been pleasantly surprised.



It is in the bathroom attached to my room and is completely odor free in case you don't know how they work, like I didn4t a few hours ago, it is a veey simple process you take wood shavings from the compartment on the back and cover whatever you deposit in the toilet. When that container is full it is removed and added to the compost outside. Very simple clean and odor free and no wasted water.

I have a short day planned for tomorrow only 11 or 12 KM to Aire-sur-l'Adour which will only leave 152 KM to Saint-Jean-Pied-De-Port so hopefully I will have time to go to Le Puy and walk from there to Conques before I go to Paris on April 12th.

La Romieu

La Romieu_24, originally uploaded by bikouniou.

There are cats everywhere here so I had to do some research to find out why.

"Angeline and the Legend of the Cats

In the year of our Lord 1338, in a Gascon village called LA ROMIEU, renowned for its beautiful collegiate built 20 years previously, Vincent and Mariette lived contentedly. He was a woodman and his wife often accompanied him into the forest to make up bundles of faggots. They worked hard, and with their poultry and pig, their fruit and vegetable garden, their table was always laid full with food.

They had been married for 3 years when Mariette gave birth to alittle girl, whom they called Angeline. Alas, one day Vincent was crushed by a tree he was felling. Inconsolable, Mariette sank into a depression and 2 months later was found dead, holding little Angeline in her arms. The little girl was taken in by a neighbour and was brought up with their children like one of their own.

Angeline showed a great affection for cats and their were always one or two around her which at night even slept in her bed. She also often shared her bowl with them. With the passing of time, Angeline became a healthy young girl who helped her adoptive parents in fields, always accompanied by her cats.

In 1342 and the 2 years that followed, the winters were harsh and the spring and summer so wet that it was impossible to sow their crops. There followed a great famine and inspite of the distribution of the collegiate reserves by the lord Arnaud d'Aux, the inhabitants soon had nothing to eat. They thought of the numerous cats in the village and set about catching them. Angeline's parents, knowing how much she loved hers, allowed her to keep a male and female cat on the condition she hid them well, as the neighbours would gladly kill them. Angeline, therefore, shut her two cats in the attic by day and at nignt she let them out to hunt. But the famine grew worse and many villagers died. Angeline and her parents barely subsisted by collecting roots in the woods and sometimes they found mushrooms but it was hardly sufficient. Weakened by hunger, they managed somehow to survive this terrible period and more clement times finally arrived, allowing them to harvest what they needed to live.

But in LA ROMIEU where the cats had disappeared, the rats proliferated to a point where the crops were once again threatened. Angeline, with infinite caution, had been able to hide her cats in the attic and they had produced several progeny. There were now about 20 of these cats. The villagers wrung their hands over the damage caused by the rats. Angeline announced that she was going to release some 20 cats which the inhabitants would be able to adopt. The rats rapidly disappeared and it is thus that Angeline ressembled more and more, with the passing of time, that of one of the cats and that her ears transformed into the ears of a cat."

I can't upload my own photos here but I have borrowed this one.

Today was a 19 KM walk in the very warm sunshine and tonight I'm staying at a private Gite Le Couvent de La Romieu, an old converted convent. Beautifully done, I'm cooking for myself tonight and I even have company, a couple just arrived that I met on the trail yesterday.

March 22 I'm finally able to upload my cat photos







Click the photos to see more on Flickr.

Sunset on the Nuke Plants

Sunset on the Nuke Plants, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

My room in Auvillar was about 1 KM from these and they were in view for almost 2 days of walking. I hope that was just steam. Look how close some of the houses are I'll bet that is cheap real estate.

March 14/2010 Moissac to Auvillar : A 20 KM walk13 KM of which was along the Canal du Midi so nice and flat and easy walking except they paved the tow path which is hard on the feet.





I was surprised to be walking along the Canal again.

When I arrived in Auvillar I was surprised to see large bike races with lots of people out watching them, just like the Tour de France.



Auvillar has a beautiful restored medieval round covered market.





March 15/2010

Auvillar to Castet Arrouy 22 KM A beautiful sunny and warm day, no jacket required.

I stayed at the Chambre et table d'hotes run by Marie-Ange a pilgrim herself. Very clean and comfortable and the food was excellent. Marie-Ange was concerned that I might have a problem with reservations for the next day and she was right, she made several phone calls for me and the choice was to walk almost 30 KM to La Romieu or take a short day and stop in Lectoure for the night only 10 KM away, I opted for the short day and on the 16th. I stayed at Gite Le Clos at Lectoure also a very nice accommodation run by a very nice couple who have also walked the Chemin.

Moissac

Moissac, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

We arrived in Moissac yesterday and I decided it would be a good spot to take a rest and stay for two nights.

Pru caught the train back to Paris this afternoon, she had only planned to walk as far as Moissac. It was great having her to walk with and now I will have to adjust to doing everthing by myself. Pru is a great planner and organizer and she loves to read maps all of which is a great help when you are walking. So from now on I will need to be extra careful that I don't miss a turn on le chemin. I hope to meet up with Pru in Paris in mid April and go for a walk with her walking group.

The last couple of days have been beautiful and sunny and it seems to be warming up.



We stayed at the Gite Saint Martin night before last, in Saint Martin and here at Moissac we are staying at Ultreia, both places are very special and run by very special people so if any of you who are planning to walk le voie du Puy and you stop in either of these towns I would highly reccommend them.

Of course the beautiful Abbey and cloister are well worth the visit.